Versatile, functional and an excellent way to increase your home’s value, an outdoor kitchen should be on your list of home improvement projects. One of the most effective ways to upgrade your home while making the best use of your outdoor living space, an outdoor kitchen will increase your enjoyment of your outdoor space all year round.
An outdoor kitchen is a cooking area installed in the outdoor area of your home, usually the backyard, that offers all the amenities of a traditional kitchen plus some outdoor-only features. This dedicated space may include a refrigerator, countertop, stovetop & oven, sink with running water, cupboards, and dedicated appliances like smokers, grills & a pizza oven. An outdoor kitchen will also need flooring that ties the area together and showcases this space. Once completed, an outdoor kitchen will be functional and sturdy enough to stand up to all four seasons, even here in Canada.
The ideal way to entertain, an outdoor kitchen offers a variety of benefits. Adding comfort, convenience and fun to your life, you may wonder why you didn’t go this route sooner. You’ll spend more mealtimes at home, enriching your family life and saving money. Your home will not absorb food smells, and your AC won’t have to work as hard to counteract a 400-degree oven.
Here are a few things to consider when building an outdoor kitchen:
Appliances – The number of outdoor appliances and their size will depend on the amount of space you have. Don’t forget to space them appropriately to allow people to move around naturally while they work. The rule of thumb is to triangulate your sink, food storage and cooking areas. The space between these points on the triangle should be no greater than 2.4 metres and no less than 1.5 metres.
Countertops – From food prep to storage, you need counter space. In the case of an outdoor kitchen, it needs to hold up to a variety of weather conditions and temperatures. Consider using stone and stainless steel for both form and functionality. They’re also incredibly durable and easy to clean. Don’t forget to coordinate the look with your outdoor kitchen’s cabinets and flooring for a sleek look.
Power, Plumbing & Fuel – Your outdoor kitchen needs to tap into your utilities. You’ll need plumbing – both fresh running water and a drainage system, electricity, and perhaps a natural gas line to your oven and grille.
Flooring – Like your indoor kitchen, you need flooring that cleans up easily. Outdoor porcelain tiles are the perfect flooring for your outdoor kitchen, as porcelain is non-porous and will not stain. Porcelain is also slip-resistant, an important aspect of outdoor living areas. You may also want to install those porcelain tiles using a pedestal system. Pedestal systems create a raised floor, which is the perfect way to disguise plumbing, electrical and natural gas lines.
Lighting – Outdoor lighting is a must, both at the site of your outdoor kitchen and in eating spaces. There have been some great innovations in energy-efficient outdoor lighting systems, allowing you to control the ambience of your outdoor living space.
If you need flooring ideas for your outdoor kitchen, look no further than Canadian Pedestal Systems. We’re Canada’s experts for outdoor decks, patios and, yes, outdoor kitchen flooring. Contact us today to learn more about how outdoor porcelain pavers and pedestal systems can take your outdoor kitchen project to a whole new level in terms of style, efficiency and functionality.
